Dive Brief:
- Lifestyle apparel brand Outerknown is expanding its brick-and-mortar footprint with the opening of four new stores in California and Washington, D.C., per a press release sent to Retail Dive.
- Store locations and openings include Larkspur, California, on Oct. 27, Carlsbad, California, on Nov. 25, Palo Alto, California, in December, and in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood in spring 2024. Stores average between 1,200 to 1,500 square feet, according to a company spokesperson.
- The Outerknown stores have been designed and built with sustainability in mind through a partnership with experiential agency Starch Creative.
Dive Insight:
Outerknown is making sustainability a priority as it builds out its brick-and-mortar footprint.
With Starch Creative, the companies created “responsibly” designed stores using features such as Stelapop hangers and fixtures made from S.E.A. denim scraps, Pasqual Arnella sustainable paperpaste mannequins, Yorks reclaimed flooring and reclaimed maritime rope art installations by environmental scientist and artist Ethan Estess.
Outerknown’s hero products will be curated for each store, some of which will include the Blanket Shirt, S.E.A. Jeans and Jumpsuits, Climate Beneficial sweatpants and sweatshirts, and T-shirts made from regenerative organic-certified cotton. The new stores will also include customization stations where customers can add embroidery to their products.
“These new retail spaces are a true celebration of community,” Outerknown co-founder and surfer Kelly Slater said in a statement. “Many of these spots are places I love to visit and feel personally connected to. These locations also represent the work that many of my friends are doing to clean up the ocean and planet. ... Good planets are hard to find and, at Outerknown, we are working tirelessly to protect the one we’ve got. That takes getting everyone onboard.”
An 11-time world surfing champion, Slater and creative director John Moore founded Outerknown in 2015 with a total commitment to sustainability. At the time of the launch, Slater walked away from a lucrative, long-term sponsorship with Quiksilver.
The first Outerknown store opened at The Point in El Segundo, California, in December 2019. The company subsequently launched stores in Boston, Malibu, New York and will have eight by the time Georgetown opens next year in Washington, D.C.
“In looking at locations for this next iteration of Outerknown’s retail presence, we really sought to open our doors in places where there are folks who believe in what the brand stands for — a commitment to responsible business, courageous change and great clothing,” Moore said in a statement.
Outerknown also sells product on a global scale through wholesale partnerships, online and direct to consumer. The brand is available online in the U.S., Japan, Canada and Europe, through such retailers as Backcountry, Nordstrom, Mr. Porter, Zappos, REI, Ron Herman Japan, Hudson’s Bay and Haven.
